“It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.”    (Wendell Berry)

If there is one characteristic of our culture that seems deeply ingrained in us, it is to be certain.  Now more than ever in our history, I think, we shudder at any kind of not knowing . . . not knowing the answer, not knowing the right move to make,  not knowing the right people,  not knowing the latest technology,  not knowing the right response – politically, emotionally or psychologically.  Our litany of what we are afraid of “not knowing”  can be both long and limiting.  Berry suggests, however, that maybe we need to look at the uncertain parts of our lives as gifts –  that it is the not knowing that can lead to the very questions we need to ask,  the options we need to consider so that our lives can grow deeper and richer.  First, I think, we need to be willing to admit we don’t know.  That is the first step.  So, that is my risk for today.   In thinking about the new year that is being born, I want to ask :    What is it I no longer need?    What is it I have more of now than ever before?   

So, what is it you don’t know?  What questions do you need to be asking ?

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Janie Cook is a retired teacher who lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Gareth. She shares her days with family and friends (a precious privilege), facilitates a bereaved parents’ support group and enjoys digging in the Texas Hill Country dirt & learning about natural gardening.
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